Reaction type missile



Nov. 8, 1966 G. R. KRUZELL 3,283,721

REACTION TYPE MISSILE Filed Nov. 9, 1964 B VS ra INVENTOR I 650565 KQUZEAL BY Zm/m M, {MM

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,283,721 REACTION TYPE MISSILE George Ralph Kruzeli, 4301 Hotchkiss, Bay City, Mich. Filed Nov. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 409,894 1 Claim. (Cl. 102-49) A rocket-type mi-ssle that has for its primary objects the provision of a missle particularly adapted for use with shoulder-type missile guns or launchers of the class exemplified in my copending application, Serial No. 382,864, filed July 15, 1964 now Patent No. 3,225,657, granted December 28, 1965. More particularly, it is an object to provide such a missile which is of extremely simplified construction and comprises a minimum number of parts, adapted for production and assembly with but a few steps and in simplified and economical manner, while at the same time being both efiicient and reliable in its operation.

The foregoing, and other incidental objects and features of the invention, will be readily apparent from the accompanying drawing and the description of the preferred exemplification of the invention, having in mind that the particular exemplification thus shown and described is simply by way of illustration of the preferred mode of practicing the invention, and that various modifications and changes such as would be obvious to persons skilled in this art are contemplated without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is an axial section through a generally cylindrical missile constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of the warhead of the missile being shown in elevation.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing, the missile therein illustrated comprises a hollow, cylindrical missile body open at its forward end and preferably provided at or adjacent its opposite ends with external encircling reinforcing rings 11 and 12 respectively, which project radially outwardly somewhat beyond the exterior cylindrical surface of the rest of the missile body, both for increased strength and also to the end that they may serve as rifling rings for engagement with rifiing where such is provided within the missile gun or launcher.

The body 10, because of its simplified shape, is readily adapted for shaping on a screw machine from metal stock or from a roughly formed casting.

Alternatively, if desired the body 10 is adapted for formation of a suitable fiber-reinforced plastic material according to the techniques disclosed in the Ward Patent No. 2,835,107, granted May 20, 1958.

At the forward end of the missile, there may be carried a warhead 13 which, though shown of generally conical shape, may be of any desired and conventional shape or design. Such a warhead as is illustrated, is of solid metal structure but adapted for easy production by shaping on a screw machine in a known manner, and then drilling through its rearwardly extending cylindrical connecting portion or shank 14, a diametrical hole for reception of the connecting pin 15, which also extends through aligned holes or bores in the reinforcing band or ring 11 of the missile body. The pin 15 preferably is p=ress-fi=tted into operative position, though if desired it may be replaced by equivalent connecting means.

Near its rear end, the missile body is provided with a preferably integral annular internal flange or wall 16, defining a central circular opening 17 for reception of a cylindrical sleeve-like jet nozzle 18 which projects rearwardly therethrough substantially beyond the rear face of the wall 16. A radial flange 19, which is preferably formed integrally with the forward end of the nozzle 18, is proportioned for freely sliding peripheral engagement with the inner surface of the body 20, so that after the nozzle is formed separately from the body, it may be inserted axially through the open forward end of the body 10 prior to filling the same with the solid fuel charge 20 of applying the warhead 13. The flange 19 will thus guide the nozzle concentrically to the opening 17 to facilitate insertion of the nozzle 18 through opening 17.

The solid fuel 20 within the rocket body 10 functions as the sustaining or propelling charge, and may consist of any conventional solid rocket fuel adapted, when ignited, to discharge a jet of gases rearWar-dly through the nozzle 18.

For launching or ejecting the missile from the launcher or rocket gun, there is provided a booster charge of composite structure which is bonded to the rear end 16 of the missile as well as to the nozzle 18. The said com posite booster charge is of cylindrical shape axially aligned with the body 10- and preferably housed within and bonded to the rearwardly open cylindrical extension 10A of the body 10.

Preferably such a composite booster charge consists of a cylindrical portion 21 of slow burning powder, which is bonded by suitable cement directly to the rear end of nozzle 18, together with a portion 22 of fast burning powder, which is similarly bonded directly to the powder booster portion 21. Bonded in the same manner to the rear end of the portion 22 is a combustible primer or igniter 23. The arrangement is such that the several portions 21, 22 and 23 conjointly define a comparatively small diameter cylindrical core extending rearwardly from the nozzle 18, and having about the same external diameter as the nozzle. The portions 21, 22 and 23 thus formv an internal cylindrical core for a surrounding cylindrical sleeve 24 of fast burning, molded powder.

The arrangement is such that in operatic-n of the missile, when .the primer or i'gniter 23 is detonated in conventional manner, as for instance by concussion created by impact of the firing pin of the missile gun as in my earlier mentioned copending application, this will ignite both the powder charges 22 .and 24. ignition of the fast burning molded powder 22 and 24 will serve primarily to eject the missile from the gun or launcher, while the ensuing ignition of the slow burning powder 21 will serve I to ignite the sustaining propellant charge 20 within the body If after the missile is launched, it being noted that the solid charge 20 extends rearwardly through the nozzle 18 into contact with the slow burning powder 21.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a missile constructed in accordance with the invention may be quite easily and simply fabricated by conventional methods, the missile body 10 and nozzle 18 each being adapted for easy fabrication either from a metal or from a suitable fiber reinforced plastic in the manner disclosed in the earlier mentioned Ward patent.

Since the missile and various of its individual structural details are readily subject to modification in obvious manners, it will be appreciated that the torego'ing drawing and description are intended tobe illustrative in nature only,

and not to exclude such modifications or alterations as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A reactiorrtype missile comprising a cylindrical hollow body open at its forward and rearward ends and having an annular internal flange located therein rearwardly of said forward end, a warhead abutting against said forward end and having a reduced diameter connecting port-ion received and secured with-in the forward end portion of said body, a jet nozzle of sleeve-like cylindrical configuration projecting rearwardtly through and substantially beyond said annular internal flange and having a radial flange abutting against said internal flange within the body forwardly of said flange, a propelling charge of solid fuel within the body, and a cylindrical booster charge located rearwardly of said internal flange and bonded to the rearwardiy-projectin-g portion of said nozzle in axial alignment therewith, said radial flange of the nozzle being prop-orti'oned for freely sliding peripheral 'engagement with the inner surface of the hollow body for guiding said nozzle rearwardly for reception in and passage through said in- 4 ternal annular flange incident to assembly of the nozzle and body by insertion of the nozzle through the open forward end of said body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAIMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Examiner.

V. R. PEND-EGRASS, Assistant Examiner. 

